A Bronx Tale (1993, USA) by Robert DeNiro
Main Cast: Chazz Palmenteri; Robert DeNiro;
Company: B.T. Films Inc.
The movie tells the story of Calogero a boy growing up in the Bronx. He watches Sonny (the gangster boss of the quarter) killing another guy, but did not tell the police during a line-up. Sonny starts to help and advice Calogero with which Calogero’s father is not that content. Although Sonny is a gangster boss he teaches Calogero to be a decent man.
Scene: gambling male adults adolescent or children table games tobacco transgressive
0:32:11-0:37:31: gambling
In this scene young Calogero enters the gambling cellar. There are a lot of noises, everybody shouts and wave with dollar bills in his hands. Some are smoking. Sonny wants Calogero to throw the dices for him. C. starts to do it and after a while making a lot of money for Sonny. During this gambling Sonny throws out other gamblers as they are “bad luck”. The other gambler has to go, as his face distracts the boy. There is no influence of people on dices anyway, but a lot of gamblers believe in “signs” and signals.
As everybody is shouting and seems to be really mad about the game it is indeed possible that audience will consider this behaviour as addiction. In addition Sonny lets a young boy throw the dices for him and hence promotes gambling to a kid. This will for sure evoke disapproval no matter if the gambling behaviour is considered as addiction or not.
Clip: 111

A Bronx Tale (1993, USA) by Robert DeNiro
Main Cast: Chazz Palmenteri; Robert DeNiro;
Company: B.T. Films Inc.
The movie tells the story of Calogero a boy growing up in the Bronx. He watches Sonny (the gangster boss of the quarter) killing another guy, but did not tell the police during a line-up. Sonny starts to help and advice Calogero with which Calogero’s father is not that content. Although Sonny is a gangster boss he teaches Calogero to be a decent man.
Scene: gambling male adults betting Transgressive in company
0:44:38-0:46:21: betting
In this scene Calogero and Sonny with his gang are at the horse races. Everybody shouts frenetically. Their horse seems like a save winner, but then the “bad luck guy” appears and Sonny rips his betting cards to peaces. And indeed the certain winner stills looses. The “bad luck guy” then wants to give C. a good advice for the next run, but C. leaves. The guy stays and looks on a paper on which horse to bet next.
Except the “bad luck guy” no one’s behaviour will be considered as addiction. They loose and leave without big regret. Sonny just says “pity”. It is different with the bad luck guy. He shouts even louder and madder and stays to make a next bet. Also in this scene an indicator for bad luck (the guy) is presented. And in this movie the “indicator” of bad luck works. Luck becomes controllable.
Clip: 112

A Hole in the Head (1959, USA) by Frank Capra
Main Cast: Frank Sinatra
Company: Sincap Productions
The movie tells the story of Tony a widower and wannabe businessman. He is often broke, but nevertheless tries to keep his hotel and a façade of success. An important part of his life plays Ally his 11-year-old son. He tries to lend, as many times before, money from his brother, who is a role model of a “protestant-work-ethic” businessman.
Scene: gambling male adults betting Transgressive money problem
1:40:56-1:42:49: betting
Tony won in a dog race. Although Tony really needs the money he bets the money on the next race, as he wants to impress Jerry, who stakes also his whole win. During the race Tony starts to shout and gets excited about the game. Jerry and his wife only look irritated about Tony’s behaviour.
This scene is more likely be seen as showing addiction, as Tony continues to bet and with a bigger stake. Also the disapproval of the others (Jerry + wife) indicates a kind of “odd the norm” behaviour of Tony.
Clip: 212

A Hole in the Head (1959, USA) by Frank Capra
Main Cast: Frank Sinatra
Company: Sincap Productions
The movie tells the story of Tony a widower and wannabe businessman. He is often broke, but nevertheless tries to keep his hotel and a façade of success. An important part of his life plays Ally his 11-year-old son. He tries to lend, as many times before, money from his brother, who is a role model of a “protestant-work-ethic” businessman.
Scene: gambling male adults betting Transgressive in company
1:38:24-1:39:20: betting
In this scene Tony is at a dog race trying to persuade his old friend Jerry (who is a millionaire) to fund Tony’s project. Everybody is well dressed. When the race starts everybody starts to shout. Except Tony and Jerry, who are discussing some blue-prints. Both do not care for the game, but when Tony realizes that their dog has won he is very happy (the win is the money he needs to keep his hotel).
This scene cannot be seen as addiction, as the main characters are not taking any interest in the race.
Clip: 211

Boiler Room (2000, USA) by Ben Younger
Main Cast: Vin Diesel; Giovanni Ribisi;
Company: New Line Cinema
Seth Davis runs a successful, but illegal casino. To have a decent job, he starts as a trainee in a Broker Company. He is very good in his job, but soon finds out that the company is using fake stocks to acquire money. As a sub-plot Seth’s shattered relationship to his father is an issue.
Scene: gambling male adults table games Transgressive in company
0:50:27-0:50:46: gambling
Broker colleagues are going out for the night. They are gambling. Everybody shouts and seems to be happy. It is more about the big amount of money they are gambling with, than about the gambling itself.
Considering the suits the gamblers are wearing and the fun they have, this behaviour will not be seen as addiction.
Clip: 102

Boiler Room (2000, USA) by Ben Younger
Main Cast: Vin Diesel; Giovanni Ribisi;
Company: New Line Cinema
Seth Davis runs a successful, but illegal casino. To have a decent job, he starts as a trainee in a Broker Company. He is very good in his job, but soon finds out that the company is using fake stocks to acquire money. As a sub-plot Seth’s shattered relationship to his father is an issue.
Scene: gambling male adults cards transgressive in company psychological distress
0:06:00-0:07:00: gambling
In this scene we can see Seth’s backdoor casino. It looks like an ordinary casino. Seth is very kind towards his guests, even when one of his guests starts to shout.
There is minor inappropriate behaviour in this scene. Nevertheless it is meant more to show how dedicated Seth is towards his clients in comparison towards his later job in the broker business.
Clip: 101

Bord de mer (2002, F) by Julie Lopes-Cerval
Main Cast: Bulle Ogier; Ludmila Mikaël
Company: Canal+
The movie tells about the live of Paul and his girlfriend Marie. Paul’s mother, Rose gambles at slot machines.
Scene: gambling female adults machines Transgressive solitary
0:10:14-0:11:11: gambling
Rose goes to the casino to gamble at slot machines. On the way she looks frequently behind her to make sure that Paul does not follow her.
Addiction and secrecy;
Clip: 104

California Split (1974, USA) by Robert Altman
Main Cast: George Segal; Elliot Gould;
Company: Columbia Pictures
The movie tells the story of Bill and Charlie, who are gamblers. They get together on a poker game. The movie plays mainly in casinos and at horse races. In between is not much story. In the end Bill realizes that even a big win does not make him happy.
Scene: gambling male adults betting Transgressive in company
0:34:35-0:35:52: gambling
This scene plays at a horse race. One can see the audience shouting and crying for their horse. Most of them have bet-receipts in their hands.
Here it is difficult to say how the interviewees will react. On the one hand side in a sports arena the atmosphere would be nearly the same. On the other side the atmosphere seems quite aggressive and it seems that the audience is only interested in the money than in the sports.
Clip: 54 (Addictions 5)

California Split (1974, USA) by Robert Altman
Main Cast: George Segal; Elliot Gould;
Company: Columbia Pictures
The movie tells the story of Bill and Charlie, who are gamblers. They get together on a poker game. The movie plays mainly in casinos and at horse races. In between is not much story. In the end Bill realizes that even a big win does not make him happy.
Scene: gambling male adults cards transgressive in company
0:55:10-0:56:10: gambling
Here we can see a typical green gambling table. Smoke is lying in the air. It is very calm. Bill sits down at the table, but it seems that he is not enjoying the game.
Here the interviewees will judge the situation more negative, as Bill is playing for money although he not really looks happy.
Clip: 55 (Addictions 5)

Casino (1995, USA) by Martin Scorsese
Main Cast: Robert DeNiro; Sharon Stone;
Company: Universal Pictures
The movie is about the casino boss Sam Rothstein. It plays in the 70s when the gambling business in Las Vegas was mainly controlled by mafia like cartels. The other main protagonist is Nicky, who is a boss of a gang of criminals, robbing and stealing. Another important character is Ginger, Sam’s wife, who becomes an alcoholic. In the end she seeks help from Nicky and also start an intimate relationship with him. The plot could be describe as rise and fall of gangster and casino bosses.
Scene: gambling male adults cards tobacco transgressive
03:57-03:69: gambling
The scene plays still in the introduction of the film and the casino. Here a special guest is introduced, as he is very rich and looses a lot of money in the casino. While playing the look of the gambler is indifferent. It seems that neither the loss, nor the win of the game has any emotional result on the player. He is out of very high society and sits at the table with his wife (or lover). The table is reserved only for him, as he is playing there alone. His company is the only one showing a little bit of emotional reaction, when he wins.
Discussion: I think this kind of addiction will be seen quite badly, as the person is losing a normal person’s life salary with no sign of regret. There seems to be no sense or joy in playing at all.
Clip: 27 (Addictions 4)

Die Tödliche Maria (1993, D) from Tom Tykwer
Main Cast: Nina Petri; Joachim Król
Company: ZDF
This film is about Maria an alienated woman. She lives in an unhappy marriage. In flashbacks she remembers her childhood, when her father sexually abused her. He used her as well, as a cheap labour to do the housework. Maria occasionally falls in love with the neighbour Jürgen and in the end she kills her husband.
Scene: gambling male adults cards alcohol tobacco nontransgressive in company
0:48:39-0:49:33: gambling
In one of her flashbacks Maria is sixteen. Maria has her period and is confused about it, as she obviously did not have any sexual education. The same time she has to serve her father’s gambling table. The gambling table is a typical “backdoor” poker game, with cigarettes and alcohol involved. Gambling is here used as a mean to present Maria’s father and his friends as objectionable people.
Clip: 344

Dinner Rush (2000, USA) by Bob Giraldi
Main Cast: Danny Aiello; Edoardo Ballerini
Company: Access Motion Picture Group
Nearly the whole movie plays in the restaurant of Louis Cropa during one evening. Louis’ son, Duncan has gambling debts and two men come to the restaurant to collect the debt. Louis’ older son, Udo is the chef of the kitchen and only interested in cooking and becoming the official partner of the restaurant.
Scene: gambling male adults betting nontransgressive solitary psychological distress
Throughout nearly the whole movie Duncan is listening to the radio, where a game is broadcasted on which he has betted. He is working in the kitchen, where everybody is hectically preparing food. He needs the money to pay back his losses. He loses the bet and starts to riot in the kitchen. Colleagues calm him down.
Duncan chases losses, which is normally a strong indicator of gambling addiction.
Clip: 147

Donovan’s Reef (1963, USA) by John Ford
Main Cast: John Wayne, Lee Marvin
Company: John Ford Productions
The movie tells the story of a small Polynesian island. There Dr. William Dedham leads a hospital. He stayed on the island after war and married the princess of the island. But Dedham also has a daughter in Boston and she arrives at the island to meet her father. Between her and Donovan (a friend of William) evolves a love-story.
Scene: gambling male adults machines tobacco Transgressive in company
00:40:15-00:40:27
A crowd of people viciously plays at a slot machine, although there are signs saying that it is out of order.
As the machine is broken, and the gaming hence senseless, there will be a big proportion of audience considering this as addiction.
Clip: 149

Donovan’s Reef (1963, USA) by John Ford
Main Cast: John Wayne, Lee Marvin
Company: John Ford Productions
The movie tells the story of a small Polynesian island. There Dr. William Dedham leads a hospital. He stayed on the island after war and married the princess of the island. But Dedham also has a daughter in Boston and she arrives at the island to meet her father. Between her and Donovan (a friend of William) evolves a love-story.
Scene: gambling male adults machines tobacco Transgressive in company
One can see a group of people gambling with a broken slot machine. Donovan and Dedham discuss about why the group is gambling and Mr Hiu a Chinese then wants to explain the (Chinese) group that the machine is broken.
Clip: 151

Dr Mabuse, der Spieler (1922, D) by Fritz Lang
Main Cast: Rudolf Klein-Rogge; Gertrude Welcker;
Company: UCO Film GmbH
Dr Mabuse is the mastermind in the Berlin underworld. He manipulates people to win card games and make money at the stock exchange. Public prosecutor von Wenck tries to stop him.
Scene: gambling mixed adults cards alcohol tobacco in company money problem
1:04:39-1:04:55+1:05:04-1:06:24+1:06:40-1:06:44+1:06:47-1:07:01
A rich lady loses against Dr Mabuse, who uses his hypnotic powers. She is gambling hectically and bets at the end her jewelry.
Clip: 358